Enameling furnace



Dec. 27, 1932. c A, BUTTON ENAMELING FURNACE Filed Dec. 5, 1950' 5 Sheets-Sheet l gwumdoz sna Dec. 27, 1932. c, BUTTON 1,891,919

ENAMELING FURNACE File i Dec. 5, 1930 s Shets-Sheet 2 gwumtoo Cf A U/ CEV ADUTTO/V dam/M 5 Dec. 27, 1932. c, DUTTON 1,891,919

ENAMELING FURNACE Filed Dec. 3, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 1- m L: i 1 W 11 I1 11 l F1; L"

Dec. 27, 1932. c. A. DUTTON ENAMELING FURNACE Filed Dec. 3, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 amegs 1386- 1932- c. A. DUTTON ENAMELING FURNACE Fi1ed DeC. 3, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 gwuantov abkomwq S Patented Dec. 27, 1932 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHAUNCEY ARNOLD DUTTON, OF SHAKER HEIGHTS VILLAGE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO FERR-O ENAMEL CORPORATION, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO ENAMELING FURNACE Application filed December 3, 1930. Serial No. 499,724.

My invention relates to furnaces, and more particularly to a furnace which is adapted for such use as burning enamel; although it might well be used for heat treating, annealing, or soaking metals; in which high temperatures are used.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a furnace through which such art-icles as enamel ware are continually moved;

wherein the burning chamber is vertically disposed having one opening through which uninterrupted streams of incoming and outgoing ware may pass; wherein the furnace also comprises a horizontally disposed preheating and cooling chamber adjacent the burning chamber wherein the burned and un-' burned ware passes in vertically disposed streams so that the burned ware in passing under the unburned ware delivers heat thereto.

Other objects contemplate the provision of a furnace being economical of construction, having a low maintenance cost and greater firing efficiency in an equivalent production of ware; a furnace in which all of the moving parts with the exception of the chain and its attachment with tools and ware are kept out of the high heat zone; including a pawl and ratchet mechanism for securing the shafts against movement in the upper part of the furnace in case the ware carrying apparatus should break; and further the provision of a furnace which will be easily accessible to remove any pieces of ware which might fall from the conveyor.

A still further object is to provide an offset construction in the ware carrying mechanism which will permit the ware to be continuously supported within the high heat zone while the conveyor chain is adapted to pass out of the heating chamber.

Other objects will appear from the following description of the preferred form of my invention. with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts and wh erein 1- Figure 1 is a diagrammatical view of the assembled enameling furnace and preheating and cooling chamber;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the preferred embodiment of my enameling furnace;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the furnace;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the burning chamber Figure 5 is a fragmentary view taken on a plane through the line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary View partly in section of the stub shaft and sprocket disposed in the base of the heating chamber;

Figure 7 is a vplan view of the driving mechanism for the conveying apparatus;

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the driving mechanism and the end sprockets at the outer end of the preheating chamber; 7

Figure 9 is a side elevation of a section 0 the conveyor apparatus;

Figure 10 is a view taken on a plane through the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

With reference to the drawings I have shown diagrammatically in Figure 1 an en ameling furnace 1 as comprising a vertical burning chamber 2, which maybe constructed of any suitable material such as fire brick or the like a horizontal preheating and coolin g chamber 3; and a conveyor mechanism 4, although I do not wish to be limited to the embodiment herein illustrated.

With reference to Figures 2 and 3 I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my burning chamber as comprising a base 5 having a port 6 large enough to receive the ware and proper conveyor meehanism which'hereinafter will be referred to more in detail.

Opposite the port 6 is disposed an opening 7 provided with a door 8 to make the burning chamber easily accessible whereby any ware dropped from the conveying apparatus might be removed during the enameling operation. An arch 9 is disposed across the opening 10 in the top of the base 5 to retard any flow of heat downwardly from the radiant heat zone of the furnace. Disposed on the base 5 is a cylindrical burning chamber or mufiie 11 of the full muffle type having a top 12 there'- on. The muifle is preferably divided into halves each with three horizontal passes 13, 1 1 and 15, in which fuel is fired to the bot tom pass 13 through the burners 16 and 17 on opposite sides of the furnace. The products of combustion pass horizontally through the pass 13, back through the pass 14, then in an opposite direction through the pass 15 and out through suitable exhaust ports 18 and 19 on the opposite sides of the furnace. The use of a split muflie facilitates a greater heat control within the burning chamber in that it is possible to increase theheat in the section facing the cool Ware. Where 'it 'is necessary to obtain a still greater control of the heat within the heating chamber, 1 contemplate the use of a plurality of burners, for example, a burner feeding'into each one of the passes 13, 14 and 15 on opposite sides of the furnace.

'A dead wall space 20 is provided between the top of the muffle 11 and the top 12 of the furnace. This dead wall space is provided in order that the upper portion of the ware will be carried partly out of the radiant heat zone,

on its travel therethrough, to permit the lower portion of the ware to be equal or possibly at a slightly higher temperature than the top portions of the ware before the return trip downwardly through the burning chamber. While I'ha-ve illustrated a furnace operable with fluid or gaseous fuel, it is to be understood that the precepts of my invention are broad enough to include various kinds of heating mediums combustible or otherwise, especially the use of electrical elements. It might be further noted that the flow of gas through the mufiie might be reversed, the burners projecting into the pass 15 and the exhaust ports communicating with the pass 13; V I V As is shown in Figure 1 a preheating and cooling chamber 3 may extend outwardly horizontally from the base 5 of the burning chamber 2 and communicates therewith through the port 6. The chamber 3 as shown is of a rectangular configurat on having an outwardly extending canopy 21 which may extend over the entire conveyor mechanism, the ware loaded thereon as at22. Bafile plates 23 and 24 extending upwardly from the bottom and downwardly from the ceiling of the chamber, respectively, are disposed throughout the length of the chamber. The provision of the 'baflies is to retard the flow of heat from theheating chamber and 1 to interrupt andretard the tendency of any a r to circulate into and outof the furnace. Thereare two sets oftrackways 25' and 26 each having one section thereof secured to the opposing Walls of the preheating chamber. These trackways 25 and 26 are adapted to provide slide supports for the chain carrying the unburned and burned ware, respectively, in its travel through the preheating and cooling chamber.

The conveying mechanism 3 (Figures 2- and 3) is comprised of two parallel chains 22"- and 28 which are properly guided through of the supporting sprocket 31 at the top of the roof 12, the thickness of the roof 12 of the heating chamber, and the size of the ware to be conveyed The depending ends of the oppositely disposed rods 30 have secured thereto a suitable burning tool 32 wh ch supports the ware as it is conveyed through the furnace. i v r The were is loaded on the tools 32 as at 22 under the hood 21, the-conveyor chains 27 and 28 travel away from the furnace proper (Figure 1) up over. the sprockets 33 which have attached thereto a suitable driving mechanism 33 as is shown in gures 7 and 8, and back horizontally through the preheating chamber 3. At the end of the preheater, the chains turn upwardly ovcr' sprockets as which are secured to stub shafts 35, journaled in suitable bearings 36 which might be cooled by water or other means, and

in turnare supported in recesses or ports 37 d sposed in thewalls of the base 5 of the burning chamber; (Figure 3) and upon further travel enter the burning zone 38 of the furnace. The chains upon reaching the lower the shafts 31 in order that the tension on the conveyor mechanism 4 may be varied accordingly as differentsize or weight of -ware is conveyed through the furnace or as the temperature of the furnace expands the chain elements. 31 at the top of the furnace determnes the width of the ware or tooling the furnace will accommodate. If the ware is too large it is possible to have two or more sets of sprockets at the top of the furnace to prevent the doWnwardly moving ware from colliding with the.

upwardly moving ware. The use of the hoods 43 is to prevent any loss of heat through'the slots 39, although other means such as air screens might be used in the place of the hoods.

. As the chain travels out of thetop of the furnace the ends of the rods attached to the The size of the sprockets v chain move with the chain out of the furnace (Figure 2), but the end carrying the cross bar or turning tool supporting the ware does not leave the hot zone. The advantage of this construction resides in the fact that all of the moving parts except the chain and its attachments with tools are kept out of the high heat Zone.- 7

After passing over the sprockets 31' at the top of the furnace, the chain travels downwardly through the hot zone and then around the sprockets 44 secured to the stub shafts 45 journaled in suitably cooled bearings 46 supported in the oppositely disposed openings 47 in the base 5 of the burning chamber, The sprockets 44 are so disposed with relation to the sprockets 84 that the outgoing ware will not collide with the incoming ware. From the sprockets 44 the outgoing chain isguided parallel to the incoming chain,- in the preheating chamber, but in an opposite direction, the outgo ng chain being disposed beneath the incoming chain. The outgoing ware thus delivers heat to the incoming ware as they pass in opposite directions in the preheating chamber. Although this means is an economical one of preheating the unburned ware, auxiliary heating or drying means might be introduced into the preheating chamber or gas could be conveyed from the outlet ports of the mu'flle' to the preheating chamber.

A pawl and ratchet construction 48 (Figures 4 and 5) fixed to the upper shafts 40 cooperating with a limit switch (not shown) is operable to stop the driving mechanism, and secure the shaft 40 against movement upon any reverse movement of the sprockets 31 as would be the case if the convey ng mechanism should break.

Although as disclosed the sprockets 31 are supported on the upper side of the roof plate 12-, it is contemplated that the shafts 40 and sprockets 31 might be disposed within the upper limits of the heating chamber as in the zone 20. This provision would obviate the offset conveying rods and would substantially reduce the initial cost of the furnace.

Having described certain preferred embodiments and applications of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the forms shown but that a variety of other forms may be used in pract ce, so long as they fall within the scope delimited by the following claims.

I claim:

1. An enameling furnace comprising a vertical burning chamber, heating means intermediate the ends of said chamber and a horizontal preheat ng and cooling chamber.

2. An enameling furnace comprising a vertical burning chamber, heating means in said chamber. a horizontal preheating and cooling chamber, and conveyor means for carrying ware through the said chambers.

3. A furnace comprising a vertical heating chamber, a horizontal preheating and cooling chamber, and means for conveying ware in vertically disposed lanes through said preheating and cooling chamber.

4. An enameling furnace comprising a heating chamber, a preheating chamber, a continuous conveyor means, means for effectuating' said. conveyor means to move in a substantially vertical direction in said heating chamber, means disposed above said heating chamber for supporting said conveyor means, and means for effecting said conveyor means to move in a horizontal direction in said preheating chamber.

5. A furnace comprising a vertical heating chamber, a horizontal preheating and cooling chamber, a conveyor means for conveying ware in opposite directions through said chambers wherein burned and unburned ware pass in close proximity in said horizontal chamber.

6. An enameling furnace comprising a vertical heating chamber, heating means intermediate the ends of said chamber, a horizontal preheating and cooling chamber, and conveyor means for conveying ware in opposite directions in said chambers.

7. An enameling furnace comprising a vertical heating chamber, a horizontal preheating and cooling chamber, a conveyor means for conveying ware in opposite directions in said chamber, said conveyor means adapted to convey burned ware beneath the unburned ware.

8. In a furnace a vertical heating chamber having a closed top, a conveyor means for conveying ware in said chamber, a supporting means for said conveyor, said supporting means compr sing oppositely disposed stub shafts having sprockets disposed on the inner ends of said stub shafts.

9. In a furnace, a vertical heating chamber having a closed top, conveyor means for conveying ware in opposite directions in said chamber, a support ng means for said conveyor, said supportii'ig means comprising oppositely disposed stub shafts having sprockets disposed on the inner ends of said stub shafts, said supporting means disposed eX- terior of sa d heating chamber.

10. In a. furnace the combination of a vertical heating chamber, a preheating and cooliug chamber, means for conveying ware through said chambers, said heating chamber comprising a base, a vertical mufiie supported by sa d base and a dead wall space disposed between the top of said muffle and the roof of said heating chamber.

ll. In a furnace the combination of a vertical heating chamber having a closed top, a preheating and cooling chamber, means for conveying ware through said chambers; said heating chamber comp'rfsing a base, a vertical muffle supported by said base, and oppositely disposed ports in said base, one of said ports adapted to admit ware from said preheating and cooling chamber to said heatingchamber. a

12. In a furnace, a verticalheating chamber having a closed top, conveyor means for conveyinguare in said chamber, supporting means for said conveyor means, said supporting means comprising oppositely disposed shafts, sprockets disposed on sa d shafts, and means for securing said shafts against movement upon the reverse movement of said sprockets.

. 13. In a furnace-the combination of a vertical heating chamber, a horizontal preheat ing and cooling chamber, conveyor means adapted to move ware in said chamber, and means d sposed in said preheating and cooling chamber adapted to restrict any horizontal movement of gas therethrough.

14. In an enameling furnace, a vertical burning chamber having a sealed top thereon, stub shafts supported exterior of said chamber, conveyor means adapted to support ware throughsaid heating chamber, said conveyor, means adapted to pass out of said chamber and engage'saidshafts Wh le maintaining the ware supported thereby within said burning chamber.

15. In an enameling furnace, a vertical burning chamber having a sealed top thereon, conveyor supporting means exterior of said burn ng chamber, conveyor means adapted to support Ware within said burning chamber in vertical moving lanes, said conveyor means adapted to pass out of said chamber and engage said conveyor supporting means while maintaining the Ware supported thereby within said burning chamber. I

16. In an enameling furnace, a vertical burning chamber having a sealed top thereon, slots in said top, conveyor means adapted to support Ware within said chamber, conveyor supporting means exterior of said top, said supporting means adapted to cooperate with said slots to receive said conveyor means as it passes out of said burning chamber, and means on said conveyor means for maintaining the ware carried thereby within the burning chamber.

17..In an enameling furnace, a vertical burning chamber havinga sealed top, slots in said top, conveyormeans adapted to support Ware within said chamber, adjustable conveyor supporting means exterior of sa d top, sprockets on said supporting means, said conveyor means adapted to pass out of said burning chamber and engage said sprockets while maintaining the Ware supported thereby within sa d burning chamber.

18. In a furnace having a heating chamher the combination of conveyor means for conveying ware through said chamber in substantially vertically disposed lanes and supporting means for said conveyor -means whereby said conveyor means may pass out ofsaidheating chamber while maintaining the ware Within the chamber.

19. In a furnace the combination of a vertical heating chamber, a pre-heating and cooling chamber associated therewith, means for conveying ware through said chambers, and conveyor. supporting means whereby said conveyor means may pass outof said heating chamber While. maintaining the Ware within the heating chamber.

20. In a furnace the combination of a vertical heating chamber, heating mea'nsdisposed intermediate the ends of said chamber, a horizontal preheating and cooling chamber, conveyor means for conveying ware through said chambers, and means disposed in said pre-heating and cooling chamber adaptedto restrict the horizontal movement of gas therethrough.

21. In a furnace, the combination of a vertical heating chamber, a pre-heating and cooling chamber, andmeans for conveying ware through said chambers, said heating chamber having a dead wall space at its top. In an enameling furnace, a vertical. burning chamber, conveyor supporting means disposed exter'iorly of and above said burning chamber, conveyor means adapted to support; Ware Within said burning chamber, said conveyor means adapted to pass out of said chamber andengage said conveyor supporting means while maintaining the ware supported therebyw'ithin said burning chamber. v

23. In an enameling furnace, a vertical heating chamber, said heatingchamber including a vertical mufiie supported on a base and a dead wall. space disposed between the top of the muflie and the top of said heating chamber, conveyor supporting means disposed above said heating chamber and conveyor means adapted to support ware within said heating chambensaid conveyor means adapted to pass out'ofsaid heating chamber and engage said conveyor supporting means while maintaining the Ware supported'the'reby within said heating chamber;

v 24. In an enameling furnace, a vertical burning chamber, conveyor means adapted to convey ware through said burning chamher in substantially vertical lanes, means for supporting-saidconveyor means whereby the ware entering the heating chamber travels upwardly and the ware leaving said heating chamber travels downwardly; means for controlling the heat applied to the Ware during its upward travel and independent means for controlling the heatapplied to the ware during its downward travel.

25. In a furnace of the type described, a vertical heating chamber, means for convoying ware throughsaid heating chamber in substantially vertical lanes whereby the ware moves upwardly in one of said lanes and downwardly in the other of said lanes and means for applying heat to said heating chamber whereby the temperature of the upward lane may be varied from that of the downward lane.

26. In an enameling furnace, a vertical burning chamber, conveyor means supported exteriorly of said chamber and adapted to convey work in substantially Vertical lanes through said burning chamber, means for heating said burning chamber and means for controlling the temperature of the opposite sides of said burning chamber whereby the temperature of the ware may be raised to the desired point during its upward travel and maintained at the desired point during its downward travel.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 1st day of December, 1930.

CHAUNCEY ARNOLD DUTTON. 

